Jun 8, 2010
Ten-Word Tuesday. The Crossroads Edition
You are looking at a card Bossy once sent to her drummer friend Ronny many years ago when he was trying to make a very difficult decision in his life — and just for the fun of it let’s have another look at Ronny, shall we?
Anyway, back to the card:
Back to the card: you may be surprised to learn the above is only a simulation of the actual card Bossy sent to Ronny owing to the fact Bossy doesn’t have the card because, hello, sent it to Ronny.
Maybe Bossy is getting the card a little wrong. Maybe it wasn’t your path all other options, maybe it was your road all other options, but the important part is the crossroads concept and the arrows pointing to various choices, and yes those are arrows so quit asking.
Bossy is right now standing at a similar crossroads, which is too complicated to get into at this time, where at this time means possibly ever.
But Bossy can summarize her confusion over her particular crossroads in this way: Just because there’s a window of opportunity, doesn’t mean jump.
Which is what today’s Ten-Word Challenge is all about. In exactly ten words, can you describe a time you were standing at a significant crossroads, and whether you made the right decision?
And be sure to check back later today for the crossroadiest comments on the web!
Decided to make many sacrifices so daughter can attend Montessori.
(Just decided this last week, actually. Tortured myself over it for weeks before that. It is fully twice as expensive as our current daycare, but will be so good for her. I don’t know yet if it’s the right decision, but I feel very strongly in my HEART that it is, and really that’s all the matters, isn’t it?)
Marry man you’ve only known 12 weeks? I think yes!
Met him on a blind date at a place called the Rock Bottom Inn, sorta married him on a dare. I’ve been married now to the Big Tuna for over 28 years.
Quit awful job. Moved to Japan. Best three years EVER!
Chose divorce. It hurt. Found a love I’ve never known.
Kept unschooling with my boys despite separation and divorce. Joy!
Had to choose between two great jobs… choice ended badly. ;(
Left the boulevard of broken dreams behind and headed down the road of everlasting love!
DC (boyfriend, job) vs. MA (family, vet school): moving 6/27… scary!!!
Not comfortable saying it here. Full story over lunch. Soon?
I miss you lady, and would love some InnerCity FaceTime. Or OuterCity. Whatever works.
Knew him three months. Got married. Best decision ever made.
Career, mega money, yuppie. Happiness, lot less money, cowgirl. Bingo.
–>Overlooked a few huge obstacles, together over 11 years now.
Recently decided to finish journey started a decade ago. Ecstatic.
Lots of times decisions aren’t ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’ They’re just guidelines for what’s next. So just choose whatever sounds like fun, or is more interesting, or is the thing you haven’t done yet. Then deal. The end.
Don’t ever look back and think only if. Truth is you would never know if the other choice would have been better or worse. Just make ever opportunity a learning event and keep going. Saying that, I always think the choices I make I could not be any better–right after I have worked out the difficult obstacles and have cried a few tears.
Doubt means don’t. Don’t move. Don’t answer. Don’t rush forward.
(Wish I could take credit for those perfect ten words ‘o’ wisdom. They come from Oprah. They are my MANTRA in times of change…)
Standing at one now. Really need to make that decision.
Not sure I made the right choice but it’s made!
Sometimes what feels right looks crazy. Trust your gut feelings.
Packed up my Volkswagen in 1973 – go west, young woman!
Sold house, many possessions. Gypsy life for decade. Happy together.
Quit steady teaching job for nursing school; best decision ever!
Get married again????? Sure.
HUGE mistake—but two great sons that I got to raise
My past + Monty Python’s Holy-Grail said “run away!” Didn’t. Yea.
College or travel. School can wait. No regrets at all.
Second wife? Take a chance. Best decision I ever made.
Leave architecture, lose cool “identity”? Graphic design’s been better fit.
mistook safety for love. wasn’t either. three hearts broken.
Picked between two offers on my house just now. FINGERS CROSSED!!!!!
Left passionate, damaging love. Heartbreaking. Life 95% different; 75% better.
Credit overload first semester and doing just fine, thank you!
And now back to all those papers due the first week!
Or how is this:
Trying to make baby first semester of college, not crazy.
Modeling career with callback to Calvin Klein, or finish college. Chose college, which led to marriage and babies. No regrets.
Stay or go? go. Best decision ever.
Chose love at first sight. Married soon after. 15 years!
chose house that was too small – gained one amazing friend.
Crossroads or windows of opportunity? I like Bossy’s mixed metaphors!
Cut out toxic relationship. One year later, feel at peace.
I think I have a copy of the card you’re talking about, Bossy! Person at a fork in the road, starting down the path marked “Your life,” and the other sign says, “No longer an option.”
(OK, so this isn’t 10 words, but I was excited. I keep a framed copy of the card on my desk. At the top it says, “Don’t look back.”)
Chose your own adventure moment: Stay in Alaska or Home?
*SO WEIRD that this is the ten words Tuesday challenge, was JUST thinking about this like, milliseconds ago.*
At the alter with Joe. Should have turned and run.
Had five dollars, one baby. Left him anyway. So smart.
Not so much crossroads as many tributaries leading nowhere.
Leave him or stay with him? The choice was right!
Not so much leading to nowhere as leading to whatever you can make it to be…
There is no turning back and deciding what would have been better/worse, only making the most of what you’re doing now!
Love love love Joseph Campbell: “Follow your bliss”
Gastric Bypass surgery? Yes or no. YES Best decision in my life.
Nearly passed out when I read this from ‘Angi’:
Chose divorce. It hurt. Found a love I’ve never known.
Same crossroads. And my name is angie, too.
wow, not so alone.
doughnuts or fruit for breakfast doughnuts win gained three pounds
look in mirror or not looked took zanax nigh night
realized parenthood wasn’t required. love my childfree family every day!
Standing there now. Left, right, straight ahead? Not sure yet.
abuse, divorce, denial, married new love. thirty years of happiness.
I did a 180 with fear in my heart. I thrived.
Whoa. Grew an extra finger. Wasn’t there last night. Really!
No real crossroads: internal compass always points in right direction.
“We have a 10 month old –” “YES!” Adopted April 2009.
key is want what you have – every day is giift
Love at 12 weeks? middle aged widow. oh yes indeed.
#1: daycare quit – find new or become stay-at-home mom?
#2: kid’s college expense looming – old career or new needing schooling?
Keep the marriage
or call it quits?
I’m too legit.
#56 David said it all!!
Left my husband, married my soulmate, everyone much happier since.
I always feel as if I made the wrong decision.
second-guessing should not be an option – make your choice work.
Grad school in two months. Do I have time? No.
Me, 22—held hostage by alcoholic mom. Jumped ship = GOOD.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Make your choice and don’t look back. Then be happy.
I don’t believe in “mistakes”. Our path is our path!
xoxo
My philosophy: It’s possible to overthink. Decide with your gut.
(And no I don’t mean EAT. Oh hang on. Maybe I do?)
BB
Wait or let go? Waiting… Won’t know for a while.
After Sleepless in Seattle dumped unstable boyfriend – best move ever.
Grad school at 35? Sure! Twins at 39? Yes!
(Tired and grumpy and stay-at-home at 45….yes, but still happy)
Had kid at 39 too. Very tired but no regrets.
My immediate thought and ten words….
The long and winding road, that leads to your door….
But since this isn’t a Beatles lyrics contest, my REAL ten words are:
Wake up early, look at path choices, back to bed.
Leaving Corporate America to pursue my dream. Dream TBD. July!
Move family of 4 across the country, sure, why not!
(hubby and I have lived in the SF bay area our whole lives, we leave in two weeks to move to Georgia with our two little ones. So excitted but also a bit scared)
1992: accepted boring-assed job. 1994, got out of debt.
Canadian boy met California girl on internet.
Moved.
Married her.
Met a boy, instant connection.
Loved, married, now a mama.
changed jobs which changed whole life, scared- best thing ever.
Let go idea the idea of parenthood. Finally at peace.
Lost a friend but gained my kids. Hard but worth it.
Didn’t mean to fall in love. Best mistake ever.
The best things have come out of seeing the window opening to a questionable destination and jumping anyway.
I just see you not turning either way and running straight ahead into that tree
I’m pregnant, should I marry the father? I think so.
BAD FUCKING CHOICE!!!
chasing happiness means it will always elude me – learning to be happy with right now.
(someone somewhere owed me 5 words once – trust me)
Donated everything we owned, moved onto a 25 yr old RV, and hit the road NOT knowing where we were going = BEST DECISION EVER MADE. Though, in truth, I don’t believe in mistakes. I believe in Everything that happens happens for a reason so don’t try believing that your choices mean that much
Student loan debt. Latin, Art History and English. So happy.
Wrong choice..didn’t listen to my gut. Wish I had.
Stuck at fork now. Analysis Paralysis. Must pick already, dammit.
I need to go. Can’t take first step.
I live in Sydney. Him: Atlanta. Date or don’t date?
Sliding Doors* suggests same endpoint, different scenery along the way.
*Great movie about diverging paths
Beatles also said same thing:
There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t meant to be.
It’s easy.